Refrigeration plate with defrosting means



Aug. 19, 1952 H, w. KLElsT 2,607,203

REFRIGERATION PLATE WITH DEFRosTING MEANS Filed Dec. 22, 1947 3Sheets-Sheet 1 5T NL- LUN Ing/@afar @man WzeZ-S N *P WMM Aug. 19, 1952H. w. KLElsT 2,607,203

REFRIGERATION PLATE WITH DEFRosTING MEANS Filed Dec. 22, 1947 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 19, 1952 H. w. KLEIST REFRIGERATION PLATE WITHDEFROSTING MEANS Filed Deo. 22, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 k2/enz?? 5 @d n fPatented Aug. 19, 1952 y neural?) sTArees PArsNr-o-F aEFniGEnATIoN PLATEWITH DEFRosTING MEANS f t Herman 'WrKleisMChicagm Ill., assignertoDolev` Refrigerating Company, Chicago, I1l.,a.corpo- Arationoflllinois @scenari-neuesten,1947,.seria1No.79s,2oi f jVv 4cm-,img(01462-115) My invention relates to Yan 'improvement 1in defrostingdevices, and has forionepurpose to providemeans for defrosting arefrigerating coil.

Another purpose is 'to provide means for-defrosting a refrigeratingplate in which ia volatile refrigerant is normally evaporated Within theplate, in a coil housed Within the plate.

Another purpose is to provide` an improved refrigerating plate in whichboth .a .refrigerating and a defrosting coil .are included. Y

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of thespecification and claims.

I illustrate the invention .morefor less diagrammatieally'in theaccompanying drawings where- Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating agroup or battery -of my plates embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the structure of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view with parts in section; and

Figure 4 is a section onan enlarged scale on the line 4 4 of Figure 1.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification-and drawings.

Referring to Vthe drawings, I villustrate :a ,plurality of platesgenerally indicated as l, each' of which may conveniently be :formed Ebysheet metal members 2, 3, having connecting vside flanges 4. Positionedwithiny each plate is an evaporating coil, generally indicated as E,each such coil having an inlet pipe 6 and an outlet pipe 1. The coil ishoused in the space within and between the sheet members 2 and 3.

While I do not wish to limit myself to vacuum plates, I i'lnd itconvenient to provide means for partially evacuating the interior of theplates. I illustrate, for example, a fitting 8, through which the airmay be partially evacuated, and the fitting then closed. Since thefitting does not, of itself, form part of the present invention, it isnot herein shown in detail. It will be understood, however, that thereduction of the pressure within the plate to less than atmospheric iseffective to force the sheets 2, 3 against the coil 5 in satisfactoryheatA conductive relationship.

As a matter of convenience, I illustrate the plate as having outwardlyextending edge portions 9 which may be received in notches Ill of anysuitable structural supports Il. It will be understood that the detailsof the plates and of the supporting means may be widely varied.Referring, for example, to Figure 3, I illustrate a heating ordefrosting coil or pipe l5, which may,

, of the plate and endingr I'iafdi-s 2f L v for example, receivehotWater I anymtlierfsuitable uid or liquid raised-,tera emperature suf.-cient to v'defrost the plate, llustrategforiexample, a hot Waterinlet;leonnected to v-thefpi-pe or coil I 5 `by a water.deliverypipe 1L IA,line-trate the pipe or coil -15,asipassingfaroundthree edges hare@eine i8 extending to asuitableutletf .1f f r In the embodiment of, myventionherein shown, I `illustrate-a plurali-ty,-ofplatesui 4arranged inparallel ,relatonship'andsgripped, for example, .between 'structuralmembers l--I ,With their notches ID,the:structuralgmembers beingconnected by rods; or :long boli'fsji 2lil with their heads 2| and4nuts.:22.' #Where fthe rinitis-,used in lair conditioning, `or:inicooling-airinconnection with locker` plants ,and :the-.lik'e,;fthe-individual plates l .may befcloseiyn-spaced,,fand -niaybe separated.by relatively *,smali'ginteryeni-ng spaces 23, whiclimayadvantageouslybe ofsubstantially uniformclearance. V:.:r: I,

Any suitable means xmaygbe. used -forcycling a volatile refrigerantthrough the coils 5 Iof :the-individual plates.v .I illustrate.axdschargemanifold 26, the plates ibein'garranged ,in parallel. Anysuitable means: fora: cycling. f a- -gyolatile refrigerant maybeemployed,-.the-details-of which vdo not form :part of 'thefpresentxinvention, and are therefore/not shown'. Imay providea similararrangement Vfor circulating -the-defrosting Amedium, such ashotvwaterggl illustrate, for eX- ample, .anLinle't `manifoldrl Sand lran.outlet manifold I9, which constitute, respectively, the inletYinvention. I therefore Wish my description and y drawings to be taken asin a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limitingme to my precise showing.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

I illustrate herein a type of plate which may advantageously be used fora forced air railway car refrigerating unit, in which air from theinterior of the frozen storage space of a refrigerator car is passedbetween long and closely spaced plates, and is thereafter returned tothe interior of the car. It will be understood that when so used, thegroup of plates may be suitably housed or jacketed, to define a passagefor the air. However, in the present invention, the primary purpose isto provide a hot water or hot fluid defrosting arrangement for theplates, whether the plates are used in railway refrigeration, domesticrefrigeration,I commercial refrigeration. or the like. y

It will be understood that each individual plate contains one 'of theevaporating coils 5. I illustrate each plate as having, in its interior,but adjacent its edges, one of the defrosting ducts or pipes l5. Such anarrangement is adequate where a narrow plate is used. It will beunderstood. however, that if a plate substantially Wider than thoseherein shown is used, a larger number of bends of hot water ordefrosting tubing may be employed. In either event, the hot water tubingls incorporated in the plate, and is o1' a substantially shorter lengththan the length of tubing or piping used for the evaporation of thevolatile refrigerant. There is thus a minimum interference with thefreezing efcieney of the platefas agwhole.`

An importantfactori'n the us'eof plates made in accordance withmyinvention is that the hot iluid passage l is in heat conductiveassociation with the planewalls 2 ."3'o'ifthe plate.' Thus heat israpidly propagated, 'f across the walls 'of the plate, there being asumcient temperature rise to free the frost from the surface. 'In m'anyinstances, it is not necessary to melt off the frost. It may be merelyloosened, so that it may more easily be scraped oiI. It is of maximumimportance, initially, to break the bbndat the edges of the plate. Thenthe shell or'layer of frost becomes so loosened as to be readilyremoved. If the plate is in vertlcalposition, it 4may drop off byitself, or be very readily scraped or tapped' oi. Hence, a marginalpassage, around the edge of the plate, is, in general, more: importantand more helpful than an intermediate passage;- although one or moreintermediate passages may be necessary in the case of plates oisubstantial or excess breadth.

- I claim: j f

l. In a refrigerating plate, and means for defrosting it, a gas-tighthousing including outer walls,van evaporatorcoil positioned within saidwalls and in heat-conductive relationship' with said walls, said 'coilhaving an inlet and an outlet separate from said inlet' extendingthrough said walls, and alde'frostingy 'coil adapted for circulating adefrosting fluid jthrough said plate,isaid coil being positioned withinthe interior of said plate and having the same heat-conductiverelationship with the same Walls as that of the evaporator coil andhaving an inlet and an outlet separate from said inlet extending throughthe walls of said plate, and a tting in the housing through which airmay be exhausted from the interior of the housing, whereby the walls areheld in heat conductive relationship by the external atmosphericpressure, with both the evaporator coil and the defrosting coil in heatconductive relationship with said walls.

2. In a cold plate adaptable for use in refrigerating structures, agas-tight housing including two parallel, plane, outer Walls sealedtogether about their edges to'enclose a gas-tight interior, anevaporator coil positioned Within and between said walls and inheat-conductive relationship with said walls, said coil having an inletand an outlet, and a defrosting coil adapted for circulating adefrosting fluid through the interior of said plate, said defrostingcoil being positioned within the interior of'said plate and inheatconductive relationship with said walls, and having an inlet and anoutlet independent of the inlet and outlet of the evaporator coil, saidevaporator coil and said defrosting coil being of the same gauge andhaving a like conductive relation to the same walls of the plate.

3. The structure of claim 2 characterized in that the defrosting coilextends about the evaporator coil.

4. The structure of claim 2 characterized in that the defrosting coilextends about the evaporator coil and is located adjacent but within theouter edge of the space within the gas-tight housing. 4 l

' HERMAN W. KLEIST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS I Number Name Date 685,310 Vollmann Oct. 29, 1901847,'73'7 Daly Mar. 19, 1907 1,890,085 Hill Dec. 6, 1932 1,908,573Sulzberger May 9, 1933 2,081,479 Fink May 25, 1937 2,181,276 Kogel Nov.28, 1939 2,4l0,449 Kleist Nov. 5, 1946

